Globalization

In this era of globalization, many people argue that the world is uniting under one global culture. Technology has made the spread of ideas and information instantaneous and there is therefore, no longer room for individual cultures. This argument however, ignores a critical aspect to culture and its development. Culture comes from history, which each state has experienced differently. The past has built traditions and ingrained beliefs into the people, so no matter how intertwined the world becomes through globalization, it’s differing pasts will continue to cause cultural divergences. Sino-US relations demonstrate this through the deep economic integration that has occurred in conjunction with continued cultural conflicts concerning human rights, the environment and leadership style.
Cultural differences between China and the United States are best exemplified by the student demonstrations of 1989, in Tiananmen Square. The government’s severe repression of the demonstrators shows a difference in leadership style. In the United States, such an act of despotism would be impossible due to the established legal and political system. In China however, the act was simple to carry out, requiring only one order from Deng Xiaoping, because of the communist dictatorship that prevailed.
China’s explanation for the use of force during the incident also demonstrates a cultural difference, that of the individual versus the community. In China the collective stands above all and any act upon the individual that serves the greater community is permissible. Therefore, the government declared that their actions against the individual students had been to preserve the stability of greater China and was therefore acceptable. In the United States on the other hand, the individual stands above all else, with individual rights at the forefront of all policies. Hence, any political act that could be seen as repression of the individual and a breach of their fundamental freedoms is considered intolerable.
The events following Tiananmen however, show that although these primary cultural differences exist, globalization prevents them from resulting in any serious clash. Some immediate economic consequences were implemented against China as a reprimand for the lack of humanitarian consciousness, yet China experienced no long-term effects. Initially the United States under Bill Clinton attempted to link human rights to China gaining Most Favored Nation Status, but it quickly became apparent that such a connection was impossible to enforce. The two economies are far too entangled and any such relationship would distress the United State’s economy just as much as it would the Chinese.
Therefore, in order for each country to protect its own national interest, it must work to maintain normal relations with the other. Although cultural differences do exist, the state’s national-interest is first and foremost and hence economic stability and a stable Sino-US relationship is essential and will continue to be so in the future.